Around the 2012 National Western Stock Show in pictures

Denver’s National Western Stock Show has come and gone, with record attendance of over 650,000.

There were fantastic ticketed performances in the Denver Coliseum and the National Western Events Center. Patrons were thrilled by shows like the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza, PBR Bull Riding, 19 Pro Rodeos, African-American Heritage Rodeo, the $10,000 Gambler’s Choice Open Jumping, National Western Wild West Show, Freestyle Reining and An Evening of Dancing Horses.

Besides these great ticketed events, there was so much to see and do that was included in the price of the admission to the Stock Show grounds. The National Western Stock Show also has the world’s last remaining outdoor carload and pen cattle show, which is held in the historic Denver Union Stockyards, and there is no charge to visit The Yards. The historic yards hosted over 16,000 head of livestock, making it one of the top five years of all time.

From the Longhorn cattle that led the kick-off parade in downtown Denver to the last Sunday, there was plenty of family fun and entertainment. There was so much going on that there were never two days the same and to see it all required more than one visit.

There was plenty of traditional Stock Show food on hand. Besides the conventional brisket and turkey legs, the new Spam-on-a-Stick joined the Fried Twinkie for the more adventurous eaters. There were vendors in every building, and, if your feet could hold up, you could find a vendor that was selling exactly what you wanted.

There is a lot of very serious business that goes on at the auction arenas and in private treaty sales in The Yards and up on The Hill during the Stock Show. Even with the seriousness of cattle sales and the unpredictability of weather in January, everyone seems to have a really good time. So now it is time to rest up from the 106th edition of the National Western Stock Show and to start planning to attend the 107th edition in 2013.